Cushion-tire structure



Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,518,746 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. MEYER, OF WARREN, OHIO.

CUSHION-TIRE STRUCTURE Original application led November 25, 1922, Serial No. 603,289. Divided and this application filed June i 30, 1924. Serial No. 723,216.

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. Maren, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inl Cushion-Tire Structures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

^ This Ainvention relates to tire structures and pertains more particularly to cushion tires of the type in which a tire with an inner recess or channel is molded and cured directly upon a tire base.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion tire structure in which an endless spacing rin is expanded or stretched and interloc s with side sections having a tire structure secured thereto to form with said side sections a rigidbase which iseadaptedto be forced laterally upon 'the fixed rim of a wheel structure.

A further object of this invention is vto provide a sectional rim .or base in whichthe central spacing ring and the outer base sections have connecting means preventing relative circumferential movement as well as relative lateral movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide such connecting means that the ring can be removed, if desired, without damagf ings.

Referenceshould be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view partly in section showing the side members of the rim and thev cushion tire.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view y of a portion of the locking ring.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a lug priorA to its attachment to the ring.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through a complete rim.

Fig. 5 is a circumferentialcentral Asection through the rim.

Figure 6 shows a different way of forming the locking ring.

Referring to the drawing, the tire base is made up of a pair of annular side sections l and 2 which are preferably endless ring-c and are provided with out-turned flanges 3 and 4 and eripheral locking grooves 5 for receiving the rubber tire (i. The rubber tire is of the type recessed or channeled as at 7 between the side portions, which are secured to the rim base sections 1 and 2 in a well known manner, wherein a layer of hard rubber is interlocked with suitable grooves in thev base sections and the soft rubber of the arch-shaped tire is united to the hard rubber.

At their inner edges the sections 1 and 2 are grooved circnmferentially at 8 to form ribs 8 to interlock with a spacing structure lsuch as rlng 9 having complementary members such as ribs 10 and grooves 10 formed along the side portions of the ring. The spacing ring 9' is of slightly smaller diameter than the sections l and 2 andis stretched or expanded into place between thcsections in any suitable manner after the rubber tire is vulcanized on to the said sections and the cores removed.

By omitting the spacing ring until after the tire sections are secured to the base sectween the side sections ofthe base for the insertion and removal of the core for therecess in the tire while it is vulcanized to the base sections.

The central ortion of the ring 9 extends between the si e sections 1" and 2 and with the interlockin connections prevents relative movement aterally of the sections when the are applied to the fixed rim of a wheel bo y. It is desirable, however, that these members be locked against relative circum- Iferential or longitudinal movementso that neither of the side sections can creep cir,-y

cumferentially with res ect to 'the other. For this purpose the si e sections 1 and 2 are formed with notches 11 Aadapted to receive lugs 12 on the locking ring 9 to firmly lock the ends of the ring against movement when the ring 9 is expanded into place between the sections 1 and 2.

The opposed notches 11 maybe formed in any desired shape, but preferably are simply square notches punched from the opposing edges of the sections 1 and 2 and the lu 12 may be formed separately and weld into place on the ring 9. Or if dev1in of a Wheel body the sections of the base against relative radialmovement.

sired, the lugs 12 may be formed, as by forging, integrally with a piece of metal whose ends are shaped toe match the ring 9 in cross section. In this case,as Shown in Fig. 6, the insert 14' is Welded at both ends to the ends of the ring 9.

To complete the tire structure the ring 9`v is placed with the lugs 12 engaging the recesses ll of the side sections upon an expanding machine (not shown) and the locking ring is then stretched to bring the flanges l() throughout the remainder of the ring into engagement with the grooves 8 of the sections 1 and 2. One good type of ex-ffv panding machine for stretching' the lock` ing ring intoplace isdiagrammatically indicated in Patent No. 1,461,531, issued July 10, 1923.

The ribslO and grooves 10 ofthe spacingring andthe ribs 8 and grooves 8 of the side sections l and 2 are preferably-f" dovetailedor undercut at sucl an angle that the stretching of the ring. into complete engagement with the side sections is facilitated and so that they will be accurately spaced and interlocked against lateral separation when the ring is finally in position.

The ring may even be made of sections which will ermit lstretching to a larger diameter and) will interlock with the side sections to form a rigid tire structure. Thev inner peripheries of the ring 9 are prefer-- ably 'rounded to facilitate pressing the tire structure on the fixed rim of a wheel body in the ordinary manner. f

When a tire is defective or worn or when it is desired to reassemble the tire structure for any reason after it has been removed from the wheel, the central ring can 'be pressed radially inwardly and removed without damage or injury to the sidegsec tions, which can thus be reclaimed forY use in connection with another tire body.

It will' be seen thatv the endless locking ring is expanded into a position-between the side sections, so that the inner"portion of theV locking ring has a diameter substantially as great as the side sections.

It will also be noticed that the side sections and the ring frictionally engage) the wheel throughout substantially the entire areaof their inner facesse that the tire member is securely held in place. Also when the tire base is mounted on the'` fixed are held againstrelative circumferential and lateral movement and thesegsections due to their frictional engagement with each other and the tensioning in applying them to the fixed rim of the wheel are held Such a construction is as rigid in use as though the rim and side sections were permanently secured, as by Welding, but the ring can be removed to reclaim the sidelsections for reuse. c

Furthermore, it is to'fbe understood that the particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth, are presented ,for purposes of eX- planation'and illustration and thatvarous modifications of said apparatus and'h pro- `eedure can be made without departing from my invention as .deined in the appended claims.

4 `lpg-What I claim is:

` s"IIA cushion Vtire`structure comprising a pair of spaced side sections, an arc-shaped cushion of rubber having `its legs vulcanized thereto, an endless spacing ring of subvstantially the same inner diametery as the yside sectionsand disposed between said sections, said ring and sections havingsinter- .Y engaging means to prevent relative.lateral or relative circumferential movement..

2. A cusluoitire structure comprising annular side-sections having a cushion of rubber. secured thereto, an endless spacin ring disposed' between said side sections an having itsl inner portion of substantially the samediameter as that' of the side sections,

. and interengaging projections and recesses carried by said ring andsaid side sections to prevent relative lateral and relative circumferentialmovement.

3. .A tire hase Yor'rim structure comprising spaced annular side sections, an endless locking ring/interposed between them, said side sections having their opposing edges formed with recessestherein, lugs carried by said locking ring to engage said recesses, and interengaging, annular ribs and grooves lformed onsaid locking ring and side sections, whereby `-relative4 circumferential i movement'and relative lateral movement of same diameter as that of the side sections.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. A

FRANK H. MEYER. 

